AeroMexico's and Mexicana's current timetables publish many connections @MEX that end up joining two different countries other than Mexico. I wonder how much traffic and profit these connections actually generate for both companies.

As an example, Mexicana publishes LAX-@MEX-MAD; anyone happens to know if they have a competitive fare for this? With a competitive fare, 16 hrs from LAX to MAD is not that bad. I wouldn't doubt at all that Mexican ethnic traffic originating in LAX could choose MX for a trip to Madrid.

In the same way there are many more other connections that make much more sense. I compiled a list of all published connections where I include TIJ as a gateway to Southern California and CTM as a gateway to Belize. I've used both TIJ and CTM many times for trips to San Diego and Belize City, San Pedro (Madonna's La Isla Bonita) and Caye Caulker. Connections DO NOT implicate change of airline. Here it is:

Something else that I noticed is the perfect planning for Mexicana´s Havana connections, even though they do not publish them, I am sure they are delighted to sell separate tickets for all of these destinations:

I believe that Mexico City could be a great Hub to the Americas. I do not believe the
infrastructure of the Airport allows for an easy through check in and I would love to see
a Transit Area where people are routed and do not have to come out and in of any area. Just
go straight to their gates.

AICM once considered this but I have not read more about this Transit facilities for years now.

I once took a trip to Cali on MX out of Chicago via Bogota and on my return there must have
been 20 to 25 people who boarded in Cali and with destination Chicago.

I believe there is a lot of connecting traffic on MX and AM out of the USA into South and Central America.

Well, a critical ingredient of my job with MAS in Mexico, back in the 90s, can now be disclosed, was precisely designing a network of connections ex MEX to / from Central and northern South America ( Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela ), that could provide MH with additional and important business. We were able to conclude several SPA agreements with carriers such as Aviateca, Lacsa, Copa and Avianca.

OK, we had an attactive marketing and sales plan, but when we had to hit the streets and grab the customers, well, we just found out that our commercial strategy wasn´t just enough. Back then, our two main problems were:

1.- An adequate, clear and practical TWOV policy by Mexican immigritation. We had to face a case by case tortuous procedure ( lots of ridiculous formalities ) to be able to handle our connecting traffic. It soon became very expensive and time cosuming for the airline to cope with.

2.- And as mentioned by our friend NAVEGA, the infrasctructure issue also right away became a complication. For instance, we had no specific area where to safely confine our transit passengers, except for the two nearby hotels ( Holiday Inn and Fiesta Americana ), and that was a big and expensive risk to take. Handling of transit baggage was also quite a problem.

I do believe there is a great deal of potential for MEX to become an attractive hub and connecting center, but honestly, with the safety crisis that our country is facing nowadays, on top of everything else, well, such an idea and project will just have to wait for better days.

Hey, MayaviaERJ190, very nice job in defining the various possiibilities of international connections at MEX. Thank you.

Because of its geographical location MEX has the potential of becoming a great hub connecting the Americas on the one side and Latin America with Asia on the other, among other possibilities of course.
And it is great to see AM and MX taking slowly advantage of it, they are the only ones with the infrastructure(routes, alliances and fleet) to do so.

OTOH, the great problem is MEX itself, as written above, with lacking infrastructure and bureaucratic burdens. The best solution is the construction of a new airport designed from scratch with the idea of a hub right from the beginning.

Now a few questions:
What is the minimum connection time MEX can guarantee?
Have AM and MX already established on their timetables blocks for arrivals and departures in order to ease connections or is this still on early stages?
What are the average connecting times for AM and MX?
What has happened to the current administration's infrastructure plan, which considered the construction of a new airport for MEX?

I remember a few years ago flying UA from IAD to MEX, that upon arriving many passengers would connect to SJO(flown also by UA) by just walking to the next gate, is that no longer possible?

Quoting LH498 (Reply 3):What is the minimum connection time MEX can guarantee?
Have AM and MX already established on their timetables blocks for arrivals and departures in order to ease connections or is this still on early stages?
What are the average connecting times for AM and MX?
What has happened to the current administration's infrastructure plan, which considered the construction of a new airport for MEX?

As all the connection that I mentioned before are within the same airline, connecting times would differ between AMT2 (almost everything is close togethr) and MX T1 (Everything is linear and far away).

Except for cases like HAV, nope, departures and arrivals are not planned in "connecting blocks".

I wish I knew more, but then, this happens to be an excelent time to ask the forum... C'm'on, someone here should know as LH498 questions are directly related to my original supositions for this thread.